Cap for double container

ABSTRACT

A cap  10  to be fitted on a double container  11  comprising a flexible outer container  13  and an inner bag  14 , being composed of a main cap  17  which has a flow opening  16  for discharging the contents and is fixedly fitted on the neck  15  of the double container  11  and a nozzle cap  19  which has an outlet  18  for discharging the contents and is slidably fitted on the main cap  17 . The cap makes a switch between a state with a flow passage S shut and a ventilation passage R open and a state with the flow passage S open and the ventilation passage R shut by vertical sliding movement of the nozzle cap  19  on the main cap  17.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a cap to be fitted on a doublecontainer which has a flexible outer container and an inner bagcontaining the contents with a space between the outer container and theinner bag.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] A double container having a flexible outer container and an innerbag containing the contents with a space between the outer container andthe inner bag is capable of retaining the shape of the outer containereven when the inner bag is deformed with a decrease of its volumeaccording as the contents are consumed.

[0003] In case where the contents of such a double container comprise acomponent which decomposes to generate gas, there is a fear that thedecomposition gas expands and bursts the container during storage. It istherefore necessary to make a ventilation passage interconnecting theinside of the container to the open air so as to let out thedecomposition gas. Further, it is desirable that the space of thecontainer be ventilated through a ventilation passage during storage.

[0004] On use of the double container, on the other hand, it isnecessary to shut the ventilation passage to keep in air or gas of thespace so that a pressing force imposed to the outer container may betransmitted to the inner bag, whereby the contents can be dischargedfrom the tip of the cap fitted on the container.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide a cap for adouble container which makes it possible to achieve ventilation of thespace during storage and discharge of the contents on use through aneasy switching operation.

[0006] The above object of the present invention is accomplished byproviding a cap for a double container comprising a flexible outercontainer and an inner bag for containing the contents with a spacebetween the outer container and the inner bag and having in the neckthereof a ventilation hole interconnecting with the space, wherein thecap is composed of a main cap which has a flow opening and is fixedlyfitted on the neck of the double container and a nozzle cap which has adischarge outlet and is slidably fitted on the main cap, and the cap hasa flow passage switching means for opening and shutting the flow passageof the contents from the flow opening to the discharge outlet by slidingmovement of the nozzle cap on the main cap and a ventilation passageswitching means for opening and shutting a ventilation passage from theventilation hole to open air outside the double container by the slidingmovement such that the sliding movement makes a switch between a statewith the flow passage shut and the ventilation passage open and a statewith the flow passage open and the ventilation passage shut.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007]FIG. 1 is a cross-section of a double container with a capaccording to a first embodiment of the present invention fitted on.

[0008]FIG. 2(a) is a cross-section of the essential part of a doublecontainer with a cap according to the first embodiment of the presentinvention fitted on, the container being in storage. FIG. 2(b) is across-section of the essential part of a double container with a capaccording to the first embodiment of the present invention fitted on,the container being on use.

[0009]FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of portion A in FIG. 2(a), with whichto illustrate a ventilation passage switching means of a cap for doublecontainer according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0010]FIG. 4(a) is a cross-section of the essential part of a doublecontainer with a cap according to a second embodiment of the presentinvention fitted on, the container being in storage. FIG. 4(b) is across-section of the essential part of a double container with a capaccording to the second embodiment of the present invention fitted on,the container being on use.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, a cap 10 for a double container according tothe first preferred embodiment of the present invention is used asfitted on the neck 15 of a bottle 11 which is a double containerholding, for example, hair dye as contents. The bottle 11 is a laminatedand separated container composed of a flexible outer container 13 and aninner bag 14 containing hair dye, with a space 20 between the outercontainer 13 and the inner bag 14. The neck 15 of the bottle 11 has aventilation hole 12 which interconnects with the space 20.

[0012] The outer container 13 is, for example, a polyethylene containerhaving an almost cylindrical shape. The outer container 13 is flexiblesuch that it is deformed flat when held and pressed in a hand. It alsohas such shape retention as to spontaneously restore its original almostcylindrical shape when relieved from the pressed state. The upperprojection of the outer container 13 forms the neck 15 having a malethread on its outer peripheral surface. The neck 15 has a ventilationhole 12 in approximately the middle of its height.

[0013] The inner bag 14 is, for example, a polystyrene bag containerhaving a thickness of about 100 μm. The inner bag 14 is inserted in theouter container 13 with separably intimate contact with the inner wallof the outer container 13 except the part right below the ventilationhole 12. The inner bag 14 and the outer container 13 constitute a doublecontainer. The non-contact part right below the ventilation hole 12forms the space 20 between the outer container 13 and the inner bag 14,the space 20 connecting with the ventilation hole 12.

[0014] According to the first embodiment, the hair dye put into theinner bag 14 contains a component which generates O₂ by decomposition ofH₂O₂ and a volatile component such as water or an alcohol. Thepolystyrene inner bag 14, in which the hair dye is held, has apermeability to O₂, a decomposition gas, as high as about 0.5 to 5.0 ata measuring temperature of 25° C. The permeability of the inner bag 14to decomposition gases is measured by “Testing method for gastransmission through plastic film and sheeting—Method A (differentialpressure method)” specified in JIS K7126.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 2(a) and (b), the cap 10 for double containeraccording to the first embodiment is composed of a main cap 17 and anozzle cap 19, wherein the main cap 17 has a hair dye flow opening 16and is fixedly fitted on the neck 15 of the bottle 11, and the nozzlecap 19 has a hair dye discharge outlet 18 and is vertically slidablyfitted on the main cap 17. The cap 10 has a flow passage switching meansfor opening and shutting the hair dye flow passage S from the flowopening 16 to the discharge outlet 18 by sliding movement of the nozzlecap 19 on the main cap 17 and a ventilation passage switching means foropening and shutting the ventilation passage R from the ventilation hole12 to open air outside the bottle 11 by the sliding movement of thenozzle cap 19 on the main cap 17. The cap 10 is designed to make aswitch by vertical sliding movement of the nozzle cap 19 between a state(a) with the flow passage S shut and the ventilation passage R open anda state (b) with the flow passage S open and the ventilation passage Rshut.

[0016] The main cap 17 is a cylindrical member, the upper end of whichis closed by a top plate 21, and the cylindrical wall 22 of which isprovided with a female thread on the inner peripheral surface thereofThe female thread is screwed on the male thread of the neck 15 tofixedly fit the main cap 17 to the neck 15. In the fixedly fitted state,the main cap 17 has its inner side at the lower end thereof in tightcontact with the outer periphery of a basal part 23, which is the basalpart of the neck 15 of the bottle 11 with an increased diameter. Thus,air passage between the inner side of the lower end of the main cap 17and the outer periphery of the basal part 23 is shut off. The inner sideof the top plate 21 is provided with a projection forming an inner ring24, which is plugged in the upper opening of the neck 15.

[0017] A rod plug 25 for shutting and opening the discharge outlet,which constitutes the flow passage switching means, projects upward fromthe center on the outer side of the top plate 21 of the main cap 17. Anannular guide wall 26 also projects upward to concentrically surroundthe rod plug 25. The annular guide wall 26 is to be snap fitted inbetween an inner annular wall 34 and an outer annular wall 35 of thenozzle cap 19 described later to guide the vertical sliding movement ofthe nozzle cap 19. The top plate 21 also has an annular catching wall 27projecting upward on the outer side thereof concentrically with the rodplug 25 to surround the annular guide wall 26. The annular catching wall27 has formed on the outer peripheral surface thereof a lower annulardeep groove 29 and an upper annular shallow groove 30, forming anannular curved protrusion 28 therebetween. A flow opening 16 (an outletfor the hair dye from the bottle 11) is bored in the top plate 21 at aposition between the rod plug 25 and the annular guide wall 26. Theannular catching wall 27 has a gas-leading hole 31 vertically piercingtherethrough. A gas-leading channel 32 is formed on the outer side ofthe neck 15 vertically across the male thread at the position where theventilation hole 12 is bored. With the main cap 17 fixedly fixed on theneck 15, the gas-leading hole 31 connects with the gas-leading channel32.

[0018] The nozzle cap 19 has a conical shape with its vertex open as thedischarge outlet 18. A cylindrical inner wall 34 forming a central flowpath 33 is provided in the central portion on the inner side of thenozzle cap 19. An outer annular wall 35 is provided concentricallyoutside the cylindrical inner wall 34. The inner cylindrical wall 34 andthe outer annular wall 35 are positioned so as to have the annular guidewall 26 of the main cap 17 snapped in therebetween and guide thevertical sliding movement of the nozzle cap 19 while keeping theconcentricity with the main cap 17. The lower end each of thecylindrical inner wall 34 and the outer annular wall 35 projects towardthe annular guide wall 26 to form an annular contact projection 39 alongthe lower end. As a result, with no gap between the annular guide wall26 and the annular outer wall 35 or the cylindrical inner wall 34, thepass of the hair dye is shut off. On use of the container, the hair dyehaving flown into the inside of the cap 10 is thus made to flow smoothlyto the discharge outlet 18 through the central flow path 33.

[0019] The lower opening edge of the nozzle cap 19 projects radiallyinward to form an annular switch projection 38 for opening and shuttingthe ventilation passage. The inner diameter of the annular switchprojection 38 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the lowerannular deep groove 29, which is formed on the outer peripheral surfaceof the annular catching wall 27, and is slightly smaller than the outerdiameter of the upper annular shallow groove 30. Accordingly, as shownin FIG. 3, when the annular switch projection 38 is in the lower annulardeep groove 29 of the annular catching wall 27, and the discharge outlet18 is plugged with the rod plug 25, the lower annular deep groove 29provides the annular switch projection 38 with a loose fit, leaving agap to secure ventilation (see FIG. 2(a)). When the annular switchprojection 38 is in the upper annular shallow groove 30 of the annularcatching wall 27 to open the discharge outlet 18, the upper annularshallow groove 30 provides the annular switch projection 38 with a tightfit, shutting off ventilation (see FIG. 2(b)). The annular switchprojection 38 of the nozzle cap 19 and the lower annular deep groove 29and the upper annular shallow groove 30 having the annular curvedprotrusion 28 therebetween constitute the ventilation passage switchingmeans according to the present invention.

[0020] The double container cap 10 according to the first embodimentachieves ventilation of the space 20 during storage of the container anddischarge of the hair dye on use of the container by an easy switchingoperation of vertically sliding the nozzle cap 19 on the main cap 17.

[0021] That is, while the container is stored, the nozzle cap 19 ispressed and slid down toward the main cap 17. Then as shown in FIG. 2(a)the flow passage S from the flow opening 16 through the central flowpath 33 to the discharge outlet 18 is shut by the tip of the rod plug 25plugged tight in the discharge outlet 18. Since the annular switchprojection 38 is fitted loose in the lower annular deep groove 29 tosecure a gap, the ventilation passage R from the ventilation hole 12through the gas-leading channel 32 and the gas-leading hole 31 to theopen air outside the bottle 11 is kept open.

[0022] On the other hand, when the container is used, the nozzle cap 19is slid on the main cap 17 upward so that the annular switch projection38 may jump over the annular curved protrusion 28. Then as shown in FIG.2(b) the rod plug 25 is plugged down off the discharge outlet 18 therebyto release the clogged state of the flow passage S. At the same time theannular switch projection 38 is tightly fitted into the upper annularshallow groove 30 thereby to shut the ventilation passage R to theoutside open air.

[0023] FIGS. 2(a) and (b) show a double container cap 40 according tothe second embodiment of the present invention. The double container cap40 of the second embodiment is composed of a main cap 42 which has aflow opening 41 for hair dye and is fixedly fitted on the neck 15 of thebottle 11 and a nozzle cap 44 which has a discharge outlet 43 for thehair dye and is slid along the thread in the peripheral direction and isthereby vertically movable on the main cap 42.

[0024] The main cap 17 is composed of an upper cylinder 45 having asmaller diameter and a lower cylinder 46 having a larger diameter. Theupper cylinder 45 has a rod plug 48 standing upright on the center ofits top plate 47. The rod plug 48 constitutes the flow passage switchingmeans. The basal part of the rod plug 48 has an increased diameter toform a hollow cone 49. The flow opening 41 is made on the lateralsurface of the hollow cone 49. A discharge guide channel 50 whichconnects with the flow opening 41 is continuously engraved in thevertical direction along the lateral surface of the plug rod 48 until itreaches near the upper end portion of the rod plug 48. The lowercylinder 46 has on the inner peripheral surface thereof a rib forfixing, whereby the main cap 17 is fixedly fitted on the neck 15. Thelower cylinder 46 has on the outer peripheral surface thereof a malethread 51, on which a female thread 52 formed on the inner peripheralsurface of the nozzle cap 44 is screwed. An inner ring 53 projectsdownward from below the upper cylinder 45.

[0025] The nozzle cap 44 is a hollow member composed of a conicalportion 54 integrally connected to a lower cylinder 55. The cylinder 55has on the inner peripheral surface thereof the female thread 52, whichis screwed on the male thread 51 of the main cap 17. The nozzle cap 44is slidably turnable on the main cap 42 along these threads in theperipheral direction and thereby vertically movable. The dischargeoutlet 43 is bored at the vertex of the conical portion 54 of the nozzlecap 44. An annular contact wall 56 hangs down from approximately themiddle of the inner side of the conical portion 54. While keeping closecontact with the outer peripheral surface of the upper cylinder 45 ofthe main cap 42, the annual contact wall 56 slides thereon as the nozzlecap 44 moves vertically. The lower opening edge of the cylinder 55projects radially inward to form an annular switch projection 57 foropening and shutting the ventilation passage. With the nozzle cap 44screwed slid down on the main cap 42, the annular switch projection 57comes into intimate contact with the outer peripheral surface of thebasal part 23 of the neck 15 of the bottle 11. The annular switchprojection 57 and the basal part 23 constitute the ventilation passageswitching means.

[0026] According to the second embodiment, since a ventilation hole 58is made in the neck 15 of the bottle 11 at a position below the fixedlyfitted main cap 42, where the nozzle cap 44 is in a slid up state on themain cap 42, there is secured a ventilation passage R′ connecting thespace 20 to the outside open air through the ventilation hole 58. Wherethe nozzle cap 44 is in a slid down state on the main cap 42, theannular switch projection 57 comes into hermetic contact with the outerperipheral surface of the basal part 23 thereby to shut the ventilationpassage R′.

[0027] The double container cap 40 according to the second embodimentalso achieves ventilation of the space 20 during storage of thecontainer and discharge of the hair dye on use of the container by aneasy switching operation of slidably turning the nozzle cap 44 on themain cap 42 in the peripheral direction.

[0028] That is, while the container is stored, the nozzle cap 44 isturned around the main cap 42 to slide upward. Then as shown in FIG.4(a) a flow passage S′ from the flow opening 41 to the discharge outlet43 is shut by the tip of the rod plug 48 plugged tight in the dischargeoutlet 43. Simultaneously, the annular switch projection 57 lifts apartfrom the basal part 23, thereby to form the ventilation passage R′ fromthe space 20 to the outside open air through the ventilation hole 58.

[0029] On the other hand, when the container is used, the nozzle cap 44is turned around the main cap 42 to slide downward. Then as shown inFIG. 4(b) the tip of the rod plug 43 emerges from the discharge outlet43, and the tip of the discharge guide channel 50 is positioned abovethe discharge outlet 43. As a result, the flow passage S′ is opened. Atthe same time the annular switch projection 57 of the nozzle cap 44comes into hermetic contact with the outer peripheral surface of thebasal part 23 of the bottle 11, thereby shutting off the ventilationpassage R′ from the space 20 to the outside open air through theventilation hole 58.

[0030] The present invention is not limited to the above-describedembodiments, and various modifications can be made therein. For example,the contents to be put into the inner bag are not limited to thosecontaining a component which decomposes to evolve gas, and the inner bagdoes not always need to have permeability to decomposition gas generatedfrom a decomposable component of the contents. Further, variousstructures can be used as the flow passage switching means and theventilation passage switching means.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0031] The cap for a double container according to the present inventionachieves ventilation of a space in the double container during storageof the container and discharge of the contents on use of the doublecontainer by an easy switching operation.

1. A cap for a double container comprising a flexible outer containerand an inner bag for containing the contents with a space between saidouter container and said inner bag and having in the neck thereof aventilation hole interconnecting with said space, wherein: the cap iscomposed of a main cap which has a flow opening and is fixedly fitted onthe neck of said double container and a nozzle cap which has a dischargeoutlet and is slidably fitted on said main cap, and the cap has a flowpassage switching means for opening and shutting the flow passage of thecontents from said flow opening to said discharge outlet by slidingmovement of said nozzle cap on said main cap, and a ventilation passageswitching means for opening and shutting the ventilation passage fromsaid ventilation hole to open air outside said double container by saidsliding movement, such that said sliding movement makes a switch betweena state with said flow passage shut and said ventilation passage openand a state with said flow passage open and said ventilation passageshut.
 2. The cap for a double container according to claim 1, whereinthe contents contained in said inner bag contain a component whichdecomposes to generate gas, and said inner bag has permeability todecomposition gas generated by said component.
 3. The cap for a doublecontainer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said ventilation passage isformed from said ventilation hole covered with said main cap to outsideopen air through said main cap, and said ventilation passage switchingmeans is to make a switch by said sliding movement between a tight-fitstate and a loose-fit state of the inner peripheral surface of the lowerend of said nozzle cap to the outer peripheral surface of said main capthereby to shut or open said ventilation passage.
 4. The cap for adouble container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said ventilationhole is made below said main cap, said ventilation passage is formedfrom said ventilation hole to outside open air, and said ventilationpassage switching means is capable of making a switch by said slidingmovement in the state of tight contact of the inner peripheral surfaceof the lower end of said nozzle cap with the outer peripheral surface ofsaid neck below said ventilation hole and thereby opening and shuttingsaid ventilation passage.